Ningguang's Quiet Pondering; Paimon: I Don't Want to End Up in Liyue's Prison!
…Actually, that might not be a bad idea.
Kairo had just been thinking that Paimon's suggestion about using the starskiff to observe the Rite of Descension from above was crazy—but not entirely unreasonable—
when Paimon suddenly let out another startled cry.
"Waaah, what's that?!"
Her exclamation echoed across the starskiff's deck.
Paimon was staring wide-eyed into the distance, face full of shock.
Kairo and Lumine followed her gaze.
Far off on the horizon, a floating palace hung quietly in the night sky like something out of a fairy tale, bathed in resplendent golden light beneath the stars.
"That's the Jade Chamber."
Kairo spoke up calmly. "Liyue's grandest airborne palace, symbol of the Liyue Qixing's highest authority—and Ningguang's residence."
At his words, Paimon and Lumine both stared, stunned, at the distant Jade Chamber.
Suspended in the night sky, it felt like a divine hall standing above the mortal world.
Under the pale moon and glittering stars, it looked even more solemn and mysterious.
From the starskiff's vantage point, the Jade Chamber resembled a brilliant jewel inlaid into the heavens.
Its golden rooftops glowed softly in the moonlight. Tier upon tier of eaves rose and fell in harmonious layers, embodying Liyue's classic architectural beauty.
The main hall towered high, its roofline sweeping in a graceful arc like a dragon taking flight—majestic and imposing.
Golden tiles shimmered, eaves carved with elaborate patterns.
Along the flying eaves, strands of tasselled glazed bells swayed in the night breeze, chiming with crisp, ethereal notes like celestial music drifting through the air.
A wide corridor encircled the palace.
Golden railings were carved with auspicious dragons and mythical beasts, proclaiming Liyue's wealth and prosperity.
At the ends of those corridors, elegant tower-like pavilions rose one after another.
Their eaves lifted lightly at the corners like cranes about to spread their wings, adding a sense of liveliness to the entire sky palace.
Beneath the Jade Chamber, a colossal floating rock bore the weight of the whole structure.
Green runes gleamed faintly along its surface, radiating a mysterious energy.
That power allowed the Jade Chamber to defy gravity and hover over Liyue's skies, gazing down over the land below.
Lanterns carved with swirling cloud motifs hung from each of the palace's four corners, shining bright.
Like four stars embedded in the night, they cast a warm yet enigmatic glow, making the entire palace feel as though it truly sat among the clouds—immaculate, untouched by worldly smoke and dust.
"T-This is way too fancy…"
After staring for a good long while, Paimon sucked in a deep breath.
"Golden, glittering—and floating in the sky on top of that."
"Liyue actually has a thing like that."
Lumine was just as moved by the sight.
Standing on the deck, she could clearly see how lavish the Jade Chamber was beneath the night sky.
From their current, elevated vantage point, it looked even more spectacular than she'd imagined.
"After all, it's the intelligence and decision-making hub—and private palace—where Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, resides."
Kairo spoke slowly.
"The Jade Chamber is the symbol of Liyue's power and wealth."
"The palace Ningguang built isn't just a residence. It's the emblem of the Qixing's rule over this city."
"From where it floats, she can oversee nearly every matter in Liyue—commerce, policy, everything at a glance."
"If anything unusual happens, orders can be given at a moment's notice."
Paimon couldn't help but sigh.
"Liyue's merchants really are loaded… They literally moved a whole palace into the sky! Imagine how much Mora that took."
"And the entire palace can move, too!"
Kairo chuckled softly.
"That massive airborne palace can fly," he went on, watching Paimon's eyes go wide again.
When you thought about it, it wasn't entirely impossible to accept—not when they were standing on a flying starskiff themselves.
Paimon glanced back at the starskiff beneath their feet, then looked at the Jade Chamber far away.
Suddenly, she let out a thoughtful little "Oh."
Then she zipped in front of Kairo, face uncharacteristically serious.
"Kairo, what do you think would happen if we piloted the starskiff closer to the Jade Chamber?" she asked. "Would they treat us like invaders?"
At that, Lumine's expression turned a little odd.
"Probably," she said. "And then they'd throw you into Liyue's prison."
From what Kairo had just said, that palace was Ningguang's residence as Tianquan of the Qixing.
It certainly wasn't the kind of place just anyone could approach.
And it wasn't merely a sky palace—it was the core of Liyue's power.
If they recklessly flew too close, they'd definitely stir up unnecessary trouble.
"Eeh?! No way!"
Paimon froze, clutching Lumine's arm in a panic.
"I–I don't want the Millelith chasing me all over the sky!"
Night deepened.
The starskiff drifted slowly across the heavens.
In the distance, the Jade Chamber still stood tall at the edge of the sky, a brilliant gem set against the dark, shining down in tandem with Liyue Harbor's lights below.
Paimon remained giddy, flitting around the starskiff and constantly turning back to stare longingly at the Jade Chamber, eyes full of awe and desire.
"Liyue really is such an amazing place…" she sighed dreamily.
Lumine nodded lightly, her gaze calm but full of appreciation.
Kairo, meanwhile, couldn't help wondering just how much floating stone it would take to keep a palace that size aloft.
Maybe one day, he thought idly, he could try building one of his own.
While he was entertaining that thought, the Jade Chamber far away still floated calmly above Liyue's skies.
The golden palace shimmered with dazzling light in the darkness, like a celestial palace within a river of stars, watching over the mortal world below.
At that moment, the night was at its deepest.
Inside the Jade Chamber—
Most of Liyue's affairs for the day had already been handled.
Only a few glazed lanterns still swayed gently along the corridors, casting warm light onto the polished floors.
Baixiao stepped out of the council chamber, ready to return to her room and rest.
As Ningguang's secretary, she was responsible for coordinating a vast amount of Liyue's administrative work.
Her workload each day was exhausting.
But for now, all was quiet in Liyue; nothing seemed amiss.
She could finally relax a little and recover her strength for tomorrow.
However, as she walked along the corridor and happened to glance out toward the distant night sky—
her steps halted at once.
"…Huh?"
Baixiao blinked.
For a second, she wondered if she was simply too tired and seeing things.
Out on the horizon, a dark silhouette was gliding slowly across the heavens.
The hull was long, its outline smooth and streamlined, half-hidden in the night.
It was unmistakably a ship—
but one that was flying.
Baixiao's eyes widened.
She stared in disbelief at the colossal shape, shock flooding her gaze.
"Since when… did Liyue have a ship that can fly?"
She rubbed her eyes hard, trying to see more clearly.
But no matter how she checked, the massive object remained suspended in mid-air, faint light tracing across its surface like some divine sign.
This wasn't an illusion.
It was a real airborne vessel.
In an instant, cold sweat broke out across Baixiao's back.
Her heart began to pound.
She knew immediately that this was anything but ordinary.
Without another thought, she spun around and ran, hurrying straight toward Ningguang's study, anxiety written all over her face.
Inside the study—
Ningguang had just finished reviewing the last of the day's important documents and was about to rise and rest.
She closed the ledger with a soft thud and massaged her brow, intending to tell Baixiao—who she assumed was still outside—to retire early and leave the remaining matters for tomorrow.
With the Rite of Descension approaching, the coming days would only grow busier.
But before she could speak, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.
A moment later, Baixiao's voice rang out, edged with an urgency she couldn't hide.
"Lady Ningguang! Something's wrong!"
Ningguang's brows knit almost imperceptibly.
Her hand stilled for a heartbeat as she looked up, a faint flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Baixiao was one of her steadiest secretaries, calm and composed by nature.
Even when dealing with thorny problems, she wouldn't lose her composure like this.
Yet now she'd rushed in so hastily, and her voice carried outright panic.
What had happened?
"Compose yourself."
Ningguang's tone was even, her gaze sharp as it settled on Baixiao—carrying the quiet authority of the Tianquan.
"What has you in such a state?"
Baixiao panted lightly, forcing herself to collect her thoughts and steady her voice.
Even so, she couldn't fully conceal the shock in her heart.
"Lady Ningguang," she said quickly, "there's a flying ship above Liyue!"
Ningguang blinked at that, one brow arching slightly as a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
"A flying ship?"
Baixiao nodded firmly.
"Yes. I saw it with my own eyes."
"It's not an ordinary wooden vessel. It's a massive ship completely suspended in mid-air, right above Liyue's night sky!"
"At first I thought I was seeing things, but it stayed there—it's definitely not an illusion!"
"…You're certain?"
Ningguang's eyes grew serious.
Her rational mind told her this was not something to dismiss lightly.
Liyue indeed had its mechanism arts, but those techniques were nowhere near capable of constructing a true flying ship.
The Jade Chamber might float, yes—but it relied on floating stone as its foundation, combined with rare materials, alchemical work, and coordinated effort from bearers of Geo Visions, all brought together at enormous expense.
Liyue could build a flying ship, theoretically.
But the cost would be astronomical—and entirely unnecessary.
If such a thing really existed…
Where had it come from?
Friend or foe?
Did it represent an unknown threat to Liyue?
Questions rose in Ningguang's mind one after another.
Without asking further, she rose and walked out into the corridor.
She pushed open the door, stepped up to the railing, and looked into the night sky.
Her gaze was deep and keen as she searched the direction Baixiao had described.
But there was nothing.
Only a quiet night, stars shining far above.
Moonlight lay across the distant sea of clouds.
No sign of any flying ship.
Ningguang's eyes narrowed slightly.
She stood by the corridor rail and scanned the sky again, but still saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"There's nothing there."
She slowly withdrew her gaze and turned back to Baixiao, a hint of doubt in her eyes.
"Where is this flying ship you spoke of?"
Baixiao froze.
She hurried to the railing and looked anxiously toward the horizon.
But no matter how she searched, the towering vessel she'd seen earlier had truly vanished without a trace.
"H–How is that possible…"
Her mouth hung open in shock and confusion.
"It was right there just now!"
She quickly turned back to Ningguang, speaking faster.
"Lady Ningguang, I really didn't see wrong! It was there—absolutely!"
Seeing her like this, Ningguang's eyes narrowed further as a faint suspicion took shape in her thoughts.
But she didn't voice it yet.
After a brief moment of contemplation, she said quietly:
"Perhaps… it has already left."
The night wind brushed past them.
Ningguang stood in the high corridor, her expression steady, as if pondering something deeper.
She knew Baixiao wasn't the type to panic for no reason, nor to fabricate something out of nothing.
If a flying ship really had appeared in Liyue's skies—
Then who did it belong to?
Why had it come to Liyue?
And why had it disappeared so suddenly?
Liyue's night seemed peaceful as ever on the surface…
But some unknown variable was clearly beginning to stir in secret.
With the Rite of Descension so close, they couldn't afford any mistakes.
Thinking that, Ningguang's voice sank slightly.
"Tomorrow, have Baiwen and Baishi keep watch around Liyue all day," she instructed. "Inform the Millelith in every sector to raise their alert as well. We must not take this lightly."
A flying ship—she had never heard of such a thing.
Not even Fontaine, with all its technology, possessed airborne vessels of that kind.
And neither Sumeru nor Inazuma had anything like it, either.
As the Tianquan of the Qixing, Ningguang's intelligence reports covered far more than just Liyue.
She kept an eye on news from other nations as well.
"Yes, my lady!"
Baixiao nodded at once, now understanding just how serious the matter was.
A vessel that could sail through the sky wasn't only unheard of in Liyue—there was no record of such a thing even in Fontaine's archives.
If it wasn't an adeptal construct… then where did it come from?
Friend, or threat?
Why had it appeared above Liyue's skies out of nowhere?
All of this left Baixiao deeply uneasy.
At the same time, she felt a twinge of regret.
Her brows knit slightly as she murmured, "I should have taken a picture just now…"
She always carried a Kamera with her.
She could've recorded the strange ship the moment she saw it.
But shock and urgency had driven that thought from her mind.
If she'd captured an image, Ningguang could've analyzed its details far more clearly.
Ningguang lifted her gaze, eyes calm.
Her expression was as clear and cool as a mirror, her voice steady and free of reproach.
"It doesn't matter."
Her golden eyes narrowed faintly, a thoughtful glint within.
"If it has appeared once, it will appear a second time."
Her tone was full of quiet confidence, as though she'd already grasped the possibilities.
The Liyue Qixing were never short on patience.
Since a mysterious entity had revealed itself above Liyue, it would not escape their sight for long.
Ningguang gave a few more succinct instructions.
At last, her voice softened slightly without losing its authority.
"There's no need to dwell on it. Get some rest. We have more important work to handle tomorrow."
Baixiao took a deep breath.
She understood Ningguang wanted her to steady herself and not let this incident disrupt the tasks ahead.
"I understand," she said quickly. "Then I'll take my leave."
Ningguang inclined her head gently and watched Baixiao depart.
The wind at this height tugged softly at the golden drapes.
Lantern light reflected off her profile as she stood in thought.
"…We'll have Yelan look into this," she murmured.
If such a thing had never appeared before, yet chose this moment—right before the Rite of Descension—to show itself above Liyue…
She would be hard-pressed to believe there was no connection at all.
While Ningguang followed that line of thought,
Baixiao had already descended from the Jade Chamber and headed straight for Baiwen and Baishi.
As Ningguang's secretaries, the three of them each handled different fields of information and affairs.
On ordinary busy days, they often worked together.
When things were less hectic, they'd spread out into the city to coordinate other matters.
Tonight, only Baixiao had remained in the Jade Chamber.
To find Baiwen and Baishi, she had to leave it herself.
Before long, she arrived outside their rooms.
The lamps inside were still lit, so clearly neither of them had gone to bed yet.
Baixiao knocked.
Soon, Bai Shi's cool voice came from within.
"Come in."
Baixiao pushed the door open.
She saw Baishi seated at a desk, meticulously sorting through the day's documents and records.
Baiwen, meanwhile, was turning a sealed letter over in her hands, eyes thoughtful; she seemed to have just received some new intelligence from outside.
Both women looked up in mild surprise as Baixiao entered.
"I thought you were still up in the Jade Chamber," Baishi said curiously. "What brings you here so late? Did something happen?"
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